Warnings to Pastors (Ezek 2, 3, 13)

If you are a Christian it is important you read this post, but if you're pastor or if you're close to your pastor, PLEASE take a moment to read these critical passages from Ezekiel.

There are large movements within Christianity today that need to take God's message through this little-read prophet VERY seriously because He makes scathing indictments of ministry philosophies and strategies that are very popular today.

Ezekiel 2:6-7 "And you, son of man, neither fear them nor fear their words, though thistles and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions; neither fear their words nor be dismayed at their presence, for they are a rebellious house. But you shall speak My words to them whether they listen or not, for they are rebellious."

Priority #1 for your pastor is to preach and teach God's Word (cf. 2 Tim 4:1-5) regardless of the results ("whether they listen or not") because lack of response to God's Word does not mean we need to "do church" differently, but it means rebellion marks the people.

Ezekiel 3:17-19 "Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me. When I say to the wicked, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way that he may live, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. Yet if you have warned the wicked and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered yourself."

God will judge you for keeping God's warnings of judgment from people. Being "encouraging" with a "positive message" at the expense of warning people with God's Word about their sin, in the end, is a totally discouraging, unloving, disheartening and negative message because being silent or speaking a peace God does not give is fake and it keeps God's message of rescue from them, and therefore, from you.

And, not talking about sin robs the Father of the glory He deserves for planning our salvation, it robs Jesus of the glory He deserves for defeating sin, death and hell on the Cross, and it robs the Spirit of the glory He deserves for His work of opening the eyes of sinners to their sin and need for a Savior.

Ezekiel 13:3, 6-8, 10 "Thus says the Lord GOD, 'Woe to the foolish prophets who are following their own spirit and have seen nothing. ... They see falsehood and lying divination who are saying, "The LORD declares," when the LORD has not sent them; yet they hope for the fulfillment of their word. Did you not see a false vision and speak a lying divination when you said, "The LORD declares," but it is not I who have spoken?' Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, 'Because you have spoken falsehood and seen a lie, therefore behold, I am against you,' declares the Lord GOD. ... It is definitely because they have misled My people by saying, "Peace!" when there is no peace.'"

Don't get caught up with the references to visions and divination. The point here is they're saying "God says" when He never did for the purpose of making the people feel good with messages of "Peace" when there really is no peace for them. In other words, God does not support liars who say He says things He never did.

Regardless of the results, God is against you if you preach ANYTHING other than God's Word. If results were the measure of success, Joel Osteen (the supposed most successful pastor in the US who Larry King wondered may be the successor to Billy Graham [read transcript here]) is woefully unsuccessful compared to Roman Catholicism, Islam and Mormonism who God must be blessing because their results are so spectacular.

Bottom line: Preach God's Word, convenient or inconvenient, because you will "incur a stricter judgment" (James 3:1) as a pastor. Live and serve with the results of your judgment in mind.