Below are notes to a sermon preached Sunday evening, May 28, 2006, at Go spel Light Baptist Church, Albany, Georgia.
A CONSPIRACY IN THE LAND
By Michael D. O’Neal
Pastor, Gospel Light Baptist Church
Albany, Georgia
Scripture Reading: Ezek. 22:23-31
Text: Ezek. 23:25
Ezekiel 22:25 There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof.
Introduction: Tomorrow is the occurrence of a national holiday, as we remember our military veterans, particularly those who have given their lives in service to our country, protecting the liberties that we enjoy. I do not have a Memorial Day message tonight, but I do have a message about our country.
If you read your Bible, you will find that God has fixed principles that apply to His dealings with nations. The passage before us was a description of the spiritual depravity of Israel. America is NOT Israel, contrary to the teaching of the late Herbert W. Armstrong and some others, but many of the things in this passage do reflect the condition of the U.S.
AMERICA IS IN TROUBLE.
Notice two characteristics of Israel in verse 24:
Ezekiel 22:24 Son of man, say unto her, Thou art the land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indignation.
1. The land is dirty (land that is not cleansed) – filthy, defiled by sin, abortion, divorce, adultery, sex perversion, living like animals.
2. The land is dry (nor rained upon) – People are unhappy, discontented, unsatisfied, hunting after pleasure in the ABNORMAL and in fantasy (virtual reality). They are missing out on the showers of blessings and
the washing by the word of God.
Join me tonight, as we consider this passage, and may God wake us up to the fact of
A CONSPIRACY IN THE LAND
Five characteristics of Israel in this passage match five characteristics of America, as we see the need for revival in our land:
I. DEVOURING PROPHETS – THEY ARE CROOKED IN THEIR PRACTICE (see also point 4)
Ezekiel 22:25 There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof.
They are crooks. They have robbed:
A. The means of salvation (Matt. 23:13,15
B. The message of the scriptures – treasure and precious things (Jer. 23:30)
C. The men of strength – made her many widows
II. DEFILED PREACHERS
Ezekiel 22:26 Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.
A. Disobedient to the scriptures
1. “violated my law”
2. When the leaders fall, the followers often follow.
3. An IFB preacher in a nearby town gradually sank into corruption, many families in the church broke up, and the church finally closed down.
B. Disrespectful to sanctification
1. “have profaned mine holy things
2. African dance music permeates MOST church services these days, especially during the “specials”
C. Discarding separation
1. “neither have they shewed difference between the holy and profane”
2. BEWARE of any preachers who mock standards and accuse Bible preachers of “legalism.”
3. Definition of legalist: Someone with more standards of holiness than you have!
III. DISHONEST POLITICIANS
Ezekiel 22:27 Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.
A. Many are dogs
1. “are like wolves”
2. A wolf is a type of dog
3. Jesus called Herod the politician a fox
B. Many are deadly
1. “ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls”
2. Two young men out in Texas are in jail for administering “corporal discipline” while doctors are legally MURDERING babies in the womb at the rate
of 1.5 million per year!
C. Many are double-dealing in their activities
1. According to the FBI, a Democrat Representative in Louisiana took hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes and had $90,000 of it stashed in his freezer. This black politician was supposedly using the bribe money to secure oil contracts with NIGERIA.
IV. DECEITFUL PROPHETS (THEY ARE CROOKED IN THEIR PREACHING)
Ezekiel 22:28 And her prophets have daubed them with untempered morter, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the LORD hath not spoken.
A. Many preachers are passing over sinfulness and only preaching “positive” sermons
1. “daubed them with untempered morter”
B. Many preachers are prophesying lies
1. “seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them”
2. Claiming that we are in a national revival
3. Claiming that we are approaching a national revival
C. Many preachers are pretending to have the word of God
1. “saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the LORD hath not spoken.”
2. Preaching out of phony Bibles – Rick Warren, John MacArthur, Chuck Swindoll, many others
V. DEPRAVED PEOPLE
Ezekiel 22:29 The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully.
This is done by
A. Taxation of the wealthy
B. Temptation of the poor
1. Lotteries – gambling robs poor people
C. Trials in court to rob anyone they can
1. Frivolous lawsuits
2. One million dollars awarded to a woman from McDonalds because she spilled hot coffee on herself??!!
Conclusion – V. 30 GOD IS LOOKING FOR A MAN, TO STAND IN THE GAP!
A CONSPIRACY IN THE LAND
By Michael D. O’Neal
Pastor, Gospel Light Baptist Church
Albany, Georgia
Scripture Reading: Ezek. 22:23-31
Text: Ezek. 23:25
Ezekiel 22:25 There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof.
Introduction: Tomorrow is the occurrence of a national holiday, as we remember our military veterans, particularly those who have given their lives in service to our country, protecting the liberties that we enjoy. I do not have a Memorial Day message tonight, but I do have a message about our country.
If you read your Bible, you will find that God has fixed principles that apply to His dealings with nations. The passage before us was a description of the spiritual depravity of Israel. America is NOT Israel, contrary to the teaching of the late Herbert W. Armstrong and some others, but many of the things in this passage do reflect the condition of the U.S.
AMERICA IS IN TROUBLE.
Notice two characteristics of Israel in verse 24:
Ezekiel 22:24 Son of man, say unto her, Thou art the land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indignation.
1. The land is dirty (land that is not cleansed) – filthy, defiled by sin, abortion, divorce, adultery, sex perversion, living like animals.
2. The land is dry (nor rained upon) – People are unhappy, discontented, unsatisfied, hunting after pleasure in the ABNORMAL and in fantasy (virtual reality). They are missing out on the showers of blessings and
the washing by the word of God.
Join me tonight, as we consider this passage, and may God wake us up to the fact of
A CONSPIRACY IN THE LAND
Five characteristics of Israel in this passage match five characteristics of America, as we see the need for revival in our land:
I. DEVOURING PROPHETS – THEY ARE CROOKED IN THEIR PRACTICE (see also point 4)
Ezekiel 22:25 There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof.
They are crooks. They have robbed:
A. The means of salvation (Matt. 23:13,15
B. The message of the scriptures – treasure and precious things (Jer. 23:30)
C. The men of strength – made her many widows
II. DEFILED PREACHERS
Ezekiel 22:26 Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.
A. Disobedient to the scriptures
1. “violated my law”
2. When the leaders fall, the followers often follow.
3. An IFB preacher in a nearby town gradually sank into corruption, many families in the church broke up, and the church finally closed down.
B. Disrespectful to sanctification
1. “have profaned mine holy things
2. African dance music permeates MOST church services these days, especially during the “specials”
C. Discarding separation
1. “neither have they shewed difference between the holy and profane”
2. BEWARE of any preachers who mock standards and accuse Bible preachers of “legalism.”
3. Definition of legalist: Someone with more standards of holiness than you have!
III. DISHONEST POLITICIANS
Ezekiel 22:27 Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.
A. Many are dogs
1. “are like wolves”
2. A wolf is a type of dog
3. Jesus called Herod the politician a fox
B. Many are deadly
1. “ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls”
2. Two young men out in Texas are in jail for administering “corporal discipline” while doctors are legally MURDERING babies in the womb at the rate
of 1.5 million per year!
C. Many are double-dealing in their activities
1. According to the FBI, a Democrat Representative in Louisiana took hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes and had $90,000 of it stashed in his freezer. This black politician was supposedly using the bribe money to secure oil contracts with NIGERIA.
IV. DECEITFUL PROPHETS (THEY ARE CROOKED IN THEIR PREACHING)
Ezekiel 22:28 And her prophets have daubed them with untempered morter, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the LORD hath not spoken.
A. Many preachers are passing over sinfulness and only preaching “positive” sermons
1. “daubed them with untempered morter”
B. Many preachers are prophesying lies
1. “seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them”
2. Claiming that we are in a national revival
3. Claiming that we are approaching a national revival
C. Many preachers are pretending to have the word of God
1. “saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the LORD hath not spoken.”
2. Preaching out of phony Bibles – Rick Warren, John MacArthur, Chuck Swindoll, many others
V. DEPRAVED PEOPLE
Ezekiel 22:29 The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully.
This is done by
A. Taxation of the wealthy
B. Temptation of the poor
1. Lotteries – gambling robs poor people
C. Trials in court to rob anyone they can
1. Frivolous lawsuits
2. One million dollars awarded to a woman from McDonalds because she spilled hot coffee on herself??!!
Conclusion – V. 30 GOD IS LOOKING FOR A MAN, TO STAND IN THE GAP!
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Michael D. O’Neal (Proverbs 11:30), Pastor, |