Ezekiel 2:1-8 Dont Neglect Your Call

Theological Proposition/Focus: In the midst of serving God we must remember that we serve God and none other.

Christ Focus: This message ultimately points to Christ, who serves as the ultimate example of obedience to God’s call, even amidst great opposition and suffering.

Homiletical Proposition/Application: Christians need to remember that serving God is paramount, especially in times of difficulty or when they face opposition. We must evaluate our own commitment to God over societal pressures or personal desires.

Introduction

Image: Visiting DTS during a winter storm vs. growing up in Colorado

I did a lot of my seminary work in Dallas and Houston. For those who have not spent much time in Houston, let me tell you — they really don't know what they're doing when it comes to weather. Honestly, the simplest way I can explain it is that nobody in Houston knows how to handle anything except hot.

A few years ago, I saw it firsthand. I grew up in Colorado, where real snowstorms are just part of life, and growing up, we never had a snow blower or four-wheel drive. If you know what you are doing and are willing to work, all you really need is a good shovel and the right driving technique. But anyway, this was not the case in Houston. Four years ago, I was in Houston during a cold snap. I had flown down from Nebraska for a seminary weekend with just a light jacket. The weather forecasts were all warning of severe cold! It was maybe in the upper 20s — nothing crazy. But people were absolutely losing it. They were bundled up in winter coats that, in Nebraska, we only pull out when it drops below 20 — and I mean negative 20.

When a trace amount of white stuff fell, the city went into full panic mode. The news came on, and their response was simple: shut everything down. Stay home. Total catastrophe. They even talked about closing the seminary campus just because there was a little dusting of white on the ground. It was wild to see.

But looking back, Houston taught me something. It reminded me of how we, as Christians, sometimes deal with chaos. We've gotten so used to things being "hot" — meaning comfortable, successful, growing — that when even a trace of suffering blows through our lives, we don't know what to do. When our churches don't explode with growth, when our plans fall apart, when marriages struggle, or when hardship hits unexpectedly, it can feel like everything is shutting down. Like Houston with a dusting of snow, we're caught off guard, asking, "God, what is this?"

Setting the Stage

Let me set the stake for you here. We are going to look at Ezekiel today but before we do that let me take a few minutes to give you some background.

Early Life and Background (circa 622-597 BC, Jerusalem area)

Ezekiel was born around 622 BC into a priestly family (Ezekiel 1:3) near Jerusalem. He was preparing to serve as a priest when the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar invaded Judah. In 597 BC, Ezekiel was taken into exile along with King Jehoiachin and many others (2 Kings 24:14-16). The name Ezekiel means "God will strengthen" or "God will harden."

Prophetic Ministry in Exile (593-571 BC, Babylon by the Kebar River)

Ezekiel received his prophetic call around 593 BC, five years into his exile (Ezekiel 1:1-2). He lived and prophesied among the Jewish exiles by the Kebar River (Ezekiel 3:15). His ministry was marked by dramatic visions (such as the vision of God's glory, Ezekiel 1) and symbolic acts (such as lying on his side to represent the siege of Jerusalem, Ezekiel 4:4-6), calling the people to repentance and explaining the meaning of Jerusalem's coming fall.

In Ezekiel 37, the prophet is taken by God to a valley filled with dry bones, symbolizing the lifeless state of Israel. At God's command, Ezekiel prophesies to the bones, and they miraculously come together, are covered with flesh, and receive breath, becoming a vast army. This vision represents God's promise to restore and revive the people of Israel, bringing them back from exile and giving them new spiritual life.

The song Rattle! that we just sang draws directly from this powerful image, celebrating the same resurrection power that brings dead bones to life and proclaiming that miracles still happen. Just as God revived a lifeless people, the song reminds us that He still breathes life into what seems hopeless today.

Ezekiel prophesied until 571 BC and guess what, by most metrics we would deem Ezekiel's ministry as largely unsuccessful. In fact, many of those to whom Ezekiel was speaking wouldn't even take him seriously. Ezekiel kept talking about the fall of Jerusalem, which did end up occurring in 586 BC, and for the most part he was hardly optimistic about the future of Judah.

I think there is much we can learn from this prophet.

Body

Empowered — God's call is about God, not the individual or the group (1-3).

You could focus on Ezekiel's calling, which demonstrates God's initiative in choosing and preparing His servants for the message they must deliver. Highlight that serving God begins with His command and empowerment. Like Ezekiel, believers need to recognize that their calling comes from God, and they should be committed to that calling even when faced with challenges.

God chooses to work with mere humans (1).

Let's dig into the call of Ezekiel in verse 1. The first thing I want you to notice is the title "Son of Man." In the book of Ezekiel, God never calls Ezekiel by name but rather 93 times uses the title "Son of Man" to address the prophet. The title could really mean something like "having the characteristics of a human." That is, the title emphasizes the frailty and mortality of Ezekiel. This man has a message of divine significance but cannot lose sight of the fact that he is only a man. The title stresses the distance between the God of the universe and His messenger.

We need to realize something significant when we consider the job we have been given in carrying the Gospel into the world. We need to realize that we are merely humans. The title represents both human frailty and the privilege of being a messenger for God. The title conveys the importance of understanding one's role in delivering God's word, regardless of the reception it receives from the audience.

Take a second and think about it. The message God has is important; it is God's message. The people, we will see, are going to be stubborn. It is not about them, and it is not about Ezekiel, it is about God. We live in a world that loves titles. People like to go around with the title "Dr. So-and-So," "Pastor So-and-So," "President So-and-So," and the list goes on. Look, if you want to show someone honor by using a title, go for it, but if you want people to show you honor by using one of your titles, then you need to get over yourself and recognize yourself by the title "Son of Man." God's message, His work, is not about you; it is about God!

I think we need to realize that the honor is not in a title; the honor is in the reality that God is choosing to work through a mere human.

God empowers humans to do even that which God commands (2).

At the end of verse 1, the command was to stand on your feet before the God of the universe who is about to speak. But here is the thing: God may have commanded it, but God was also going to be the one who empowered it.

So, two things are vital for us to recognize. As stated earlier, we are mere humans. We need to realize our insignificance in comparison with the God of the universe. The second thing we need to realize is our complete lack of ability. God is the one who gave Ezekiel the power even to stand. We need to understand that we do not have the ability to do anything if not empowered by God.

One of the hardest realities for people to come to grips with is the reality that God has chosen to work through, to enable us. God's power is on display through us, not our own power. Paul speaks to this in a powerful way in 2 Corinthians 12:8-9: "Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."

I would encourage you to take some time to really reflect on that passage. We don't do things under our own power; we do it under God's power.

God calls on us to minister to other humans, fallen humans (3).

Again in verse 3, we see the title "Son of Man." Ezekiel, just in case you have already forgotten, remember that you are just a human. Nevertheless, God has a message that you need to share. However, before we get to the message, we are told about the audience.

The message that Ezekiel was to share was a message for the Israelites. That would have come as no surprise. Ezekiel was himself an Israelite, and would have expected nothing less, but the descriptors are where the surprise lies. The Israelites are described by God as rebellious. Ouch, that seems kind of harsh, right?

Indeed, the Israelites were a rebellious people. Going all the way back to Moses and the Exodus, we see a rebellious spirit. Think about it: in Exodus 32, while Moses is receiving the very Law of God on Mt. Sinai, what do we see the people of Israel doing? Erecting a Golden Calf to worship.

By the time we get to Numbers 16, Korah, Dathan, and Abiram are leading a rebellion. Throughout the judges, we see a cycle of rebellion. Jeroboam leads a rebellion that splits the nation and eventually gives way to Ahab and Jezebel. When I was baptized as a child, my grandpa gave me a children's Bible study Bible, and I used to enjoy looking at a chart in the Bible that showed all the kings of Israel and Judah and marked them as a "good" king or a "bad" king. Guess what? The vast majority were bad kings.

The history of Israel was a history of rebellion. These people had the very law of God and regularly, repeatedly chose rebellion! How could this be? Simple, humans are fallen, and guess what fallen humans do? They rebel against the holy Creator.

Here in just three verses, we have seen an incredible truth. Ezekiel's call was not about him or the people; it was about God.

You have been called to serve. Some of you are called to serve as teachers, some as deacons, some as helpers, some cleaning, some doing yard work, or any number of positions, but what we need to realize is that we are called to serve a Holy God, working from a position of humility with fallen people.

Image: David Brainerd (1718-1747) — Missionary to Native Americans

David Brainerd was not a naturally gifted or charismatic man. He struggled with depression, chronic illness (likely tuberculosis), and was expelled from Yale. From a worldly perspective, he was unqualified. But God called him to take the gospel to Native Americans in the wilderness of New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

He did not seek recognition — his heart was broken before God. In his journals, he often referred to his own weakness and unworthiness. Yet his life and short ministry powerfully impacted later missionary movements, including William Carey and Henry Martyn. God's calling on his life was clearly about God's greatness, not Brainerd's.

David Brainerd's ministry among Native Americans in the mid-1700s was short — just four years — but remarkably fruitful. Despite chronic illness, depression, and cultural barriers, Brainerd saw genuine conversions, particularly among the Delaware Indians at Crossweeksung, New Jersey, where the Holy Spirit moved powerfully and many were deeply convicted of sin and turned to Christ. He learned their language, preached faithfully, and discipled new believers, forming a small, vibrant Christian community. Though he died young, his life left a lasting legacy through the posthumous publication of his journal by Jonathan Edwards. The Life and Diary of David Brainerd went on to inspire generations of missionaries, including William Carey, Henry Martyn, and Jim Elliot. His work helped shape the theology and vision of modern missions by modeling humility, dependence on God, and cross-cultural ministry. Like Ezekiel, Brainerd's success was not in numbers, but in faithful obedience and spiritual impact that outlived him.

Summary Quote:

"It is impossible for any person to live too much in the light of eternity." - David Brainerd

Endure — Success is not measured by outcomes; success is measured by obedience (4-5).

Perhaps examine Ezekiel's mission to a rebellious people, emphasizing the unwavering commitment required even when the message is not received well. This can inspire believers to remain faithful and bold, remembering that the role of a servant is to deliver God's message, regardless of public acceptance.

Fallen humans are, at their core, fallen (4).

How would you like to be told that you have a job to do and you are expected to fail? The word that God chose to use in verse 4 is the word "obstinate," which can mean "hard of face." In other words, these people were the sort of individuals who would willfully ignore a message from God and instead choose to do their own thing. The stubbornness of the people had been established for generations.

It didn't matter if Ezekiel had a message from God; these people were not interested in what God had to say unless the message of God aligned with their own stubborn will.

Here is an important reality: humans are fallen and, as such, act like fallen people. We all have a bent within us toward rejecting God and choosing our own path. We all, at times, reject God and choose to ignore His word for us.

In fact, the Jews, at the time of Ezekiel's prophecy, were in captivity. Yet, instead of acknowledging their role in bringing about Babylonian captivity, the Jews saw this as just a minor setback, refusing to admit sin and judgment.

But we are no different. I cannot tell you how many times I have watched someone who has a sin problem play the victim card over and over again instead of changing their own behaviors. If you have been called to serve, and you have, you are called to serve fallen people, and at times you are going to be frustrated by fallen people acting fallen!

God's plan may include success; it may include failure, but what really matters is carrying out God's plan (5a).

In the first part of verse 5, God makes a pretty amazing statement. Ezekiel, your job is not to worry about how the people respond; your job is to deliver my message. Only God can give this sort of job. We say things like this sometimes to kids: "I don't care if you win or lose; all I care about is that you play your best." But really, do we understand that? Here God tells Ezekiel that the outcome is not significant; it is the obedience that matters.

Success is measured by obedience to the call of God (5b).

I don't think I can stress this enough. Success is measured by obedience, not results. This flies in the face of so much we have been taught for so long. You know the saying, "A is for effort?" Well, it has some truth. You know the whole idea of participation trophies? Okay, there are problems with that, but what we have here is obedience trophies.

God cared that His people knew that He was speaking to them, and so Ezekiel's job is to speak. How the people responded to the message was not on Ezekiel.

Image: All the energy spent on growing churches numerically.

I did an Amazon search for books on church growth, and it told me there were over 50,000 results! I cannot tell you how many emails I get about increasing attendance and giving. It seems like no matter where I turn, I am being told about the latest and greatest means of growing the church. Get big quick schemes are all over the place.

As I said, Amazon lists over 50,000 titles under "church growth," ranging from "Simple Church" to "Breakout Churches," each offering techniques for increasing attendance or streamlining ministry. Conferences and coaching networks often reinforce this mindset, focusing on leadership tactics and strategic branding. While there's wisdom in stewarding resources well, the danger is that we begin to believe God's work depends on our polish and professionalism. Yet figures like Ezekiel — and later David Brainerd — remind us that the true measure of ministry is faithfulness to God's call, not popularity or scale. Their lives challenge us to trust in God's power, not human methods.

I think the thing that bothers me most is that very few emails or pastor's conferences I have seen are putting a focus on how to properly handle the message of God. In fact, at most pastors' conferences, what I hear people talking about is their webpages and social media accounts, a little about their rest habits, some complaining, and guess what? Very rarely, if ever, do I hear pastors talking about the exegesis of Scripture.

The command given to pastors is 2 Timothy 4:2: "Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage — with great patience and careful instruction."

Churches all across America have the wrong measure of success, but I am guessing it is not just pastors who are wrongly measuring success. I am guessing that nearly all of us are mis-measuring success.

Entrench — Answering God's call demands that we listen to God's voice and tune out the rest (6-8).

Maybe explore the encouragement given to Ezekiel to not fear opposition, focusing on how servanthood requires courage. Highlight how God equips His servants to face adversities with boldness, reminding Christians that their service is for God's pleasure, not man's approval.

God's call is not something that can be ignored; it is a must (6-7).

The call of God is not a call to ease or even success, but that doesn't mean you can choose to ignore it. Take a second and look at the way in which God describes the congregation to which Ezekiel is called to minister: thorns, briers, scorpions. If you minister to people long enough, you will find that there are people who are thorns. Don't worry; if you are worried I am talking about you, I am almost certainly not. In general, if you are worried about being a thorn, you probably are not, and the scorpions know they are scorpions and don't worry about it at all! But it is true; there are people who will hurt, poke, and even attack.

I think that when I worked at UNL, I probably worked just as many hours as I do at the church, but the difference was that when someone was having a bad day, I just shut my door and kept to myself. In serving God, I cannot just ignore the hard parts. Now it is my vocation, but everyone here is called to serve God, and that means that you are called to serve despite thorns, briers, and scorpions. You cannot just ignore the hard parts of service.

In verse seven, God makes it very explicit, telling Ezekiel that it might be hard, but it is still a must. Ezekiel, you must speak my words. Three times in verse 6, God told Ezekiel, "Do not be afraid." The work was going to be hard, and at times painful; God called Ezekiel to be strong.

God's call is a dangerous call because we can easily fall into the trap of rebellion ourselves (8a).

One of my favorite clips from the movie 101 Dalmatians is the scene where people are walking by with their dogs, and each pair is perfectly matched. You know what I mean? In some way, the dog looks just like the owner.

In serving God, one of the biggest dangers is that we, as we work with fallen people, enter into a state of rebellion. This might mean you fall into a state of acting like those you were called to serve. It might mean you flat out refuse to answer the call. Regardless, we must be on guard and be fully committed to God.

God's call may not be what you want, but it is certainly what you need (8b).

Verse 8 ends with a rather peculiar command given the context: eat what I give you. And chapter 3 makes it even harder to understand as Ezekiel eats the scroll that God gave him. Various interpretations exist, but here is what I want us to get from this.

Consuming the scroll probably carries the idea that Ezekiel is to be fully open to and filled with the words of God. But I wonder if it has additional meaning. Specifically, true nourishment in life comes from doing the will of God.

Take a second with me and look at John 4:31-34: "Meanwhile his disciples urged him, 'Rabbi, eat something.' But he said to them, 'I have food to eat that you know nothing about.' Then his disciples said to each other, 'Could someone have brought him food?' 'My food,' said Jesus, 'is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.'"

Doing the work of God can be hard at times, but it is always worth it!

MTR: Ask yourself, what is God calling me to do? What is God calling our church to do? Then get started doing it, knowing it could be hard at times.

At the beginning of the sermon, I talked about the difference between Houston and Colorado during a snowstorm. Here is the thing: it is not that Colorado has access to better equipment or anything like that; it is that Colorado has prepared itself for the weather and determined that a mere storm is not going to shut down the state.

So my question is, are you prepared to answer God's call regardless of the storm? What equipment do you need? What do you need to do to prepare yourself to answer God's call?