Click Above to Listen!
A Sermon by Dr. Bob Griffin, Teaching Elder at Sovereign Grace Church
**WELCOME:
**SCRIPTURE: First Peter 3:12 “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
**HYMN: “CROWN HIM WITH MANY CROWNS”
**PASTORAL PRAYER:
**HYMN: “CHILDREN OF THE HEAVENLY FATHER”
**SPECIAL MUSIC: “ARISE, MY SOUL, ARISE”
**MESSAGE: GOD’S MAN FOR THIS HOUR
I. GOD SOUGHT A MAN FOR THE HOUR
A. WHAT WAS THE PROBLEM?
>>1. GOD HAS ALWAYS USED ONE PERSON
>>2. COMMON MEN WITH UNCOMMON CHARACTER
Ezek 22:23-24 And the word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, say to her, You are a land that is not cleansed or rained upon in the day of indignation”.
B. WHERE DID GOD LOOK?
>>1. PRIESTS 22:23-26 (religious leaders)
Ezek 22:26 Her priests have done violence to My Law and have profaned My holy things. They have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they taught the difference between the unclean and the clean, and they have disregarded My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.
>>2. PRINCES 22:27 (Politicians)
Ezek 22:27 Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, shedding blood, destroying lives to get dishonest gain.
>>3. PROPHETS 22:25, 28 (Baptist preachers)
Ezek 22:25 The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they have devoured human lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in her midst.
Ezek 22:28 And her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ when the Lord has not spoken.
>>4. PEOPLE 22:29 (everyone)
Ezek 22:29 The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have oppressed the poor and needy and have extorted from the immigrant without justice/em>.
II. WHAT COULD GOD DO?
A. SOLUTION
>>1. NO MAN FOUND
Ezek 22:30 And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none.
>>2. JUDGMENT ON MAN
Ezek 22:31 Therefore, I’ve poured out My fury on them. I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath. I have returned their actions on their own heads, declares the Lord God.
>>3. THE LORD PROVIDES
B. PROVISION OF A NEW MAN
>>1. NEW PRIEST – Hebrews 7:23-25
Heb 7:23-25 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but He holds His priesthood permanently, because He continues forever. Consequently, He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
OT Priests had failed so God provided a NEW PRIEST – JESUS CHRIST
>>2. NEW PRINCE – Acts 5:28-31
Act 5:28-31 saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging Him on a tree. God exalted Him at His right hand as Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.
OT Princes had failed so God provided a NEW PRINCE – JESUS CHRIST
>>3. NEW PROPHET – Luke 24:19
Luke 24:19 And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people.
OT Prophets had failed so God provided a NEW PROPHET – JESUS CHRIST
>>4. NEW PEOPLE – Hebrews 2:9-11
Heb 2:9-11 But we see Him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for all people. For it was fitting that He, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. For He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why He is not ashamed to call them brothers,
OT People had failed so God provided a NEW PEOPLE – US
** CLOSING HYMN: “OPEN OUR EYES, LORD”
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RESOURCES
CROWN HIM WITH MANY CROWNS
Crown Him with many crowns, the Lamb upon His throne.
Hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns all music but its own.
Awake, my soul, and sing of Him Who died for thee,
and hail Him as thy matchless king through all eternity.
Crown Him the Lord of life, who triumphed o’er the grave,
And rose victorious in the strife for those He came to save;
His glories now we sing who died and rose on high,
Who died eternal life to bring, and lives that death may die.
CHILDREN OF THE HEAVENLY FATHER
Children of the heav’nly Father, safely in His bosom gather;
Nestling bird nor star in Heaven such a refuge e’er was given.
God, His own doth tend and nourish, in His holy courts they flourish;
From all evil things He spares them, in His mighty arms He bears them.
Neither life nor death shall ever from the Lord, His children sever;
Unto them His grace He showeth and their sorrows all He knoweth.
Though He giveth or He taketh, God His children ne’er forsaketh;
His, the loving purpose solely to preserve them, pure and holy.
OPEN OUR EYES, LORD
Open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus
To reach out and touch Him and say that we love Him
Open our ears, Lord, and help us to listen
Open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus