Print

EZEKIEL 8: 7 - 12

"REDECORATING"

Intro: Jerusalem must fall - she has forsaken God, the fountain of living
       water. Judgment is a difficult process - question of fairness.
       Especially to captives, hundreds of miles away in Babylon. So God
       took Ezekiel by the Spirit back to Jerusalem, to behold the
       abominations done in the open.

I. "DIG A HOLE IN THE WALL."
        A. Here as he looked around, he saw worse abominations.
                1. Lewd paintings on the wall.
                2. Men were engaged in vile activities.
        B. God said, "See what they do in the dark?"
                1. It is a mistake to think that you are hiding anything
                   from God.
                        a. Light and darkness are alike to Him.
                        b. The patience of God is often misinterpreted as:
                                1. Blindness.
                                2. Indifference (it doesn't matter).
                                3. Condoning.
                                4. Approval.
                        c. "Be not deceived, God is not mocked."
        C. God had allowed Ezekiel to go into the chambers of their
           imaginations.
                1. It's impossible to hide your deeds from God but more
                   frightening.
                2. It's impossible to hide your thoughts from God.
                        a. "Thou understandest my thoughts afar off."
                        b. "All things are naked and open before the eyes
                           of Him with whom we have to do."
                3. As God walks through the galleries of your
                   imaginations, what kind of paintings does He see there?
                        a. What abominations does He behold?
                        b. "It is thy mercies that we are not consumed."
                        c. Jesus said, "As a man thinketh in his heart, so
                           is he."
                        d. Prov. - "Keep thy heart with all diligence..."
                        e. Jesus said, "For out of the heart proceed evil
                           thoughts, murderers, adulteries, fornications,
                           thefts, false witness, blasphemies."

II. GOD WANTS TO DO A REDECORATING JOB IN YOUR LIFE.
        A. He changes from the inside out.
                1. So often people try reforms.
                        a. We whitewash the wall on outside.
 b. New drapes to cover the filthy art.
                2. He wants to remove all the old paintings within.
                3. Replace them with new.
                        a. A heart stayed on Him.
                        b. A heart of praise and thanksgiving.
                        c. A pure heart, "Blessed are..."
        B. You may say, "But God, I have tried to clean up my act, but I
           can't."
                1. His answer to you is, "just grant Me the permission - I
                   will clean it up."
                        a. All it takes on your part is desire.
                                1. Do you desire to be clean?
                                2. Do you desire to be pure?
        C. God will do for you what you can't do for yourself.