Sermon Central
-
Taking Me Up
Contributed by Joe Rowland on Jul 20, 2009 (message contributor)
Summary: We live in a day where God is doing great and miraculous things. He is taking us places, as believers, that we might have thought we would never go. Just like Ezekiel the Holy Spirit is taking us up.
Taking Me Up
12 Then the spirit took me up, and I heard behind me a voice of a great rushing, saying, Blessed be the glory of the LORD from his place.
13 I heard also the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels over against them, and a noise of a great rushing.
14 So the spirit lifted me up, and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the LORD was strong upon me.
15 Then I came to them of the captivity at Telabib, that dwelt by the river of Chebar, and I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days.
I have entitled this today: “Taking Me Up”
I believe that we live in a day where God is doing great and miraculous things. He is taking us places, as believers, that we might have thought we would never go.
Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Sometimes I think that we forget that the Word of God is for all generations.
What God has done in past generations He is still doing today!
Eph 3:10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
God wants us, as the Church, to know who He is, what He can and will do in our lives.
God wants us to know about the Principalities and powers in Heavenly places in the church.
God’s Word is timeless; what was spoken to one generation is still being spoken unto us in the day that we live in.
In our opening Text, Ezekiel has been taken up by the Spirit of God and he heard behind him a voice of a great rushing, saying, Blessed be the glory of the LORD from his place.
When the Word says that He took him up, that is what He did in the Spirit.
“The exclamation” Blessed be the glory of the LORD from his place probably means that the Glory awakens Praise wherever it goes, and so could even make Babylonia God’s place.
The phrase, “Then the spirit took me up,” refers to the Holy Spirit, who earlier had energized the Cherubims and the wheels took hold of Ezekiel to energize him.
What Ezekiel is observing he be became apart of, God wants us to observe what we can become.
14 So the spirit lifted me up, and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the LORD was strong upon me.
Ezekiel went in bitterness and heat of his spirit; this is talking about the wrath or anger of the Prophet concerning the sins of the people and their opposition and rebellion against God.
15 Then I came to them of the captivity at Telabib, that dwelt by the river of Chebar, and I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days.
All that is known of “Tel-abib” is said here.
It is by the “river of Chebar”.
He sat where they sat, refers to Ezekiel beginning his ministry in silence.
They that wait upon the Lord shall renew his strength; we have to learn to wait until God tells us to move in situations.
Ezekiel was taken where it was that he was going but still had to wait until God told him what and when to speak.
16 And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Ezekiel did not move until the Lord said so, and neither should we.
1 I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.
2 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.
Ezekiel was commissioned to be a watchman for Israel and whatever God wanted him to speak he was going to say.
God was taking Ezekiel up in the things of Him because of obedience.
I have entitled this today:
