There is a war that has been since the beginning of all creation. It is THE central fight of all of creation and it is heating up in these last days…and it is obvious. 2 Timothy 4:3-4 says, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers and they will turn their ears away from truth, and be turned aside to fables.”  

 

This situation, globally, corporately and personally…will lead very quickly to the situation that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24:12. He said, that “lawlessness with abound and because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” And that coldness will look like this. 2 Timothy 3. Paul writes, “But know this, in the last days perilous times will come. For men will be lovers (here is the cold love) lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power…”

 

This war rages in the heart of every man. It’s not just raging in the public eye. This war rages in your heart and it has your whole life. And here is the battle field. Will you listen to God, or will you listen to man. Will you worship God, or will you worship you. The war has been and yet in these last days, it rages. The emerging difference for us here at home in ‘Merica…the attack is now entirely public…to the point that I see a great division coming. A division that will set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter in law against her mother in law and a man’s enemy will be those of his own household. Sound harsh? Those are the words of Jesus. Matthew 10:35-36.

 

The attack on the word of God has been alive and well in your heart since the day you heard it. It rages today. Every decision, every thought, every path you choose, every time you play the fool and refuse to immediately heed wise counsel or every time you grit your teeth in disloyalty and disunity with those who have been given charge over your soul and choose your own logic, reason, rationale and understanding over the Word of God spoken so clearly through your brother or sister in Christ…the war rages.

 

But the attack on the word of God, that war that began all the way back at the dawn of creation…when mankind was deceived and defiled by these three words, “Has God said?” And now that attack, in this country is center stage…not in the world, not on the streets, not in the news…that battle is already decided…but in the church. Christians, church leaders, pastors, priests and clergy are walking on stage, taking the mic and proclaiming that they do not believe every word of the Bible. And guess where this is coming from? The world? No. This is coming out of the seminaries!!!

 

And people are turning away. Listen, we must call sin, sin. We cannot do anything else because sin must be repented of…And here’s the thing…here’s a mark for you and for me to check within our own hearts….Jesus said, “I am the Good Shepherd, My sheep hear My voice and they know Me and I know them and they follow Me.” Here’s a good mark…a true believer, one that is born again, filled with the Holy Spirit and has citizenship now and forever in heaven…when you hear truth, you believe it!

 

Such an easy test!   And yet so entirely true! When you hear truth…you believe it! Why? Because that is a clear waterline, measuring stick, mark, sign, symbol, proof that you KNOW the Good Shepherd! I watch lives thrown away, marriages thrown away, ministries thrown away, friendships thrown away, jobs thrown away, all kinds of thrown away…all kinds of senseless and foolish waste by folks that claim they listen to God and love God and yet will not heed godly, wise, biblical, authoritative counsel! But they glide from person to person seeking what they want to be told…twisting the story just a little twist here, a little tweak there to maybe get the advice they want…and then it all ends horribly!

 

Are you truly of God? When you hear truth, do you believe it?

 

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers and they will turn their ears away from truth, and be turned aside to fables.”   Jesus said that a man’s own enemies will be those of His own household…well folks, God is cleaning up house, and He’s starting at home…the church is about to go through a great purification in advance of His coming…

 

I see this as in the days of John the Baptist…repent and turn from your sin for the Lord is at hand…I am convinced, few will heed the call…I want to show you a pattern in the Word this morning. Quickly but clearly I want to read with you through a few chapters of Ezekiel that are so entirely powerfully relevant today. Turn over to Ezekiel Chapter 12. I’m not going to expound too much, what I want to show you is a very interesting pattern…and then Chapter 13 will provide great clarity.

 

And to prime the pump, a seedling thought…all that we have discussed so far…the war from the very beginning, the refusal of the word of God for the favor of the word of man, the intensely cold hearted love of many that is centered on self…the root of it all is not deception. I’m convinced. When I see someone caught in the snare of consequence, bearing upon their lives the outcome of their unrighteousness, my eyes don’t see someone deceived…my eyes see something else…the root of the problem from the beginning…its rebellion man! Rebellion against something greater than yourself! Rebellion against the word of God. Rebellion against His messengers and commanders. Rebellion against God Himself…look at Ezekiel 12…

 

Ezekiel Chapter 12

 

5 Times, the pattern, 5 times in that chapter we read, “The word of the Lord came to me.” 5 Times in that chapter we read that the people, the nation is called “rebellious.” And 4 times we read this, “I am the Lord.” God is repeating Himself in this story of tragedy. In this progressive pattern of a perfect principle…

 

The number 5 speaks of the law. 5 speaks of grace. 5 speaks of origins and originations. But 4…4 speaks of absolute power. 5 times the Word has come…the righteous perfect word of God…a picture even of the law. 5 times man has been called rebellious…a picture of what has happened since the beginning, the origination point of all history, when man rebelled against God all the way back in the Garden and yet 5 times this rebellious badge reminds us even of God’s undeniable eternal grace in that He sent His Son. And yet God reminds us perfectly and precisely four times, through this all, through all that we have seen since creation and all that we see today as the battle moves to the American public square, even to the church pew, God reminds us of His absolute and final authority.

 

Four times, I am the Lord. There are four directions in creation. North, south, east, west. The Bible speaks of four winds upon the earth. The Bible describes the entirety of the earth is contained in 4 corners. Each year the earth and all of creation cycle through 4 seasons. 4 cherubs carry the very throne of God and 4 living creatures worship continually before God in His heavenly throne room. 4 times, “I am the Lord.” All of this. All that you have done man. All that you will do man. Every thought. Every decision. Every second. Remember this. God is in absolute authority and power. And outside of time, GOD WILL NEVER BE and HAS NEVER BEEN MOCKED.

 

Look to Ezekiel 13. (verses 1 – 2)

Prophesy out of their own heart. You see it? This is the love of many growing cold. This is what will turn son against father, daughter against mother, deacon against pastor, pastor against denomination and man against God…you working it out yourself and following you rather than heeding the clarity and truth of the word of God. Watch this…

 

Ezekiel 13 Verses 3 – 7

Is that not powerful! Folks speaking for the Lord yet words and concepts and ideas and stuff that God has not said! God never said work it out with her. Talk until she gets it. He said shut up and die for her! Love her as I loved the church! God never said reason with your pastor and talk it out with him. Tell him how you feel and why you act a certain way! God never said expect to be respected. God said tame your tongue and serve! God never said love the sinner and hate the sin! I understand the concept but that’s the only Bible verse many folks know…but that’s not a Bible verse! God said “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit[b] is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.

 

God said, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

 

You say the Lord says but God says I have not spoken! This is the war of rebellion! A war we are all in…our heart screams jealously and we contemplate against the Word of God! Making our Word His! That is a contest you will not win…and your life, man your life will show it…

 

Ezekiel Chapter 13 Verses 8 – 23

 

Again guys, again 4 times, “I am the Lord.” That is the end of the matter. He is God…we are not. He is absolute authority. He is the creator, the All Mighty, He is the one filled with truth and righteousness…and the division is upon us. And this will be the single pivot point. His word…or yours. It’s already begun. Not with the supreme court ruling…that’s just a cough that speaks of the cancer! It began when you began…

 

You and I need to look down and see what we are standing on. Solid rock, or shifting sand. The Word of God or our own? The storm will reveal it…and the storm is upon us. Galatians 6:4-5 says, “Let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For each one shall bear his own load.” The idea here is a bag. A pack. A suitcase. What have you packed. Whatever you pack, you will carry and each day, each decision, each word, each thought, each encounter…you will unpack what you have been packing…and we will all see…I pray you will see.

 

I pray rebellion hasn’t blinded you. If it has…I will pray for you. You most likely won’t listen to me even if you came to me for help…I will pray…and as the days grow darker…here is what we are to do…we are to do this in the open square and in the confines of alone…in our own hearts…here is what we are to do, here is what I will do even if none go with me…back to 2 Timothy 4. Verse 2.

 

Preach the word! When the day is tough and she is disrespectful. To my heart I will preach the word! When the ministry is tough and my leaders distrust me. I will preach the word. When the counsel is tough and their rebellious hearts lead them out even after the word has been commanded upon them. I will preach the word! When they tell me I’m disgusting and wrong and hateful. I will preach the word. When they tell me it’s illegal…God help me…I will preach the word!

 

I know the stability and power of standing on the solid rock. The sand does nothing for me any longer. I will do more than live for Jesus. My life is His. And as the true church stands up and comes forward there will be GREAT UNITY and strength. Knowing God, we will know each other and compared to the size of the so called church today some would say that we will end up small…we will be the size God wants us to be…and we will be strong! Bright. Salty. Wise and eternally known in all of heaven…

 

The best gift you could ever receive, you could ever allow your heart to receive…the best gift is open eyes. It comes only with salvation. True salvation. Praying a prayer and calling out to God for help…that can leave you hell-bound…allow God to pay your debt of sin…just like with the payment of any debt, when the debt is truly paid, title ownership transfers. You need to give your life to Jesus. Repent of the sin of rebellion against Him and His word…wake up man…the time is short!