daily java

Daily Java:

Now, son of man, I am making you a watchman for the people of Israel. Therefore, listen to what I say and warn them for me. If I announce that some wicked people are sure to die and you fail to tell them to change their ways, then they will die in their sins, and I will hold you responsible for their deaths. But if you warn them to repent and they don’t repent, they will die in their sins, but you will have saved yourself. (Ezekiel 33:7-9)

Son of man, your people talk about you in their houses and whisper about you at the doors. They say to each other, "Come on, let’s go hear the prophet tell us what the Lord is saying!" So my people come pretending to be sincere and sit before you. They listen to your words, but they have no intention of doing what you say. Their mouths are full of lustful words, and their hearts seek only after money. You are very entertaining to them, like someone who sings love songs with a beautiful voice or plays fine music on an instrument. They hear what you say, but they don’t act on it! But when all these terrible things happen to them—as they certainly will—then they will know a prophet has been among them.” (Ezekiel 33:30-33)

Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.” And he said, “Yes, go, and say to this people,
‘Listen carefully, but do not understand.
    Watch closely, but learn nothing.’
Harden the hearts of these people.
    Plug their ears and shut their eyes.
That way, they will not see with their eyes,
    nor hear with their ears,
nor understand with their hearts
    and turn to me for healing.” (Isaiah 6:8-10)

I like being a preacher. I have been in the ministry for almost forty years and I choose to remain in it.

But there are downsides.

First is that God holds me more accountable than my church for what I teach them. He said I am a watchman. He was speaking to Ezekiel, but his message goes for all prophets, all “forth-tellers” of truth. We have a great obligation to get it right.

Second is that people, when they listen, do so insincerely entirely too much of the time. Someone once said that preaching is telling people things that they do not believe but want to pretend they do. And in some churches that is the case. They come, listen to the preacher, sing along with the band, throw a little money in the plate, maybe take a little communion and then go home thinking they have fulfilled their duties to God.

In this one, you are nothing more than a stop in the line of entertainment. And that is depressing to one who really cares.

Third is that they will not listen to you. I suppose this and number two kind of tie for worst. It is hard to choose between the worst: either you as entertainment or you as background noise. But God told Isaiah that they were not going to listen when he spoke. They would pretend to and even compliment his sermon, but they really were not listening. But he was to speak anyway.

It is a hard  job being a preacher. It has its rewards, but it also has its drawbacks. And it is true that unless God calls you into it, you are not going to stay. It is too heartbreaking at times for the man who is not committed or called.

And it is a fact that the call of God is not always a happy thing. Look at Hebrews 11 to see that. John the Baptizer, who spend all of six months in his profession before being beheaded. Jesus for that matter who spent only three years before being brutally killed.

But at the same time, thanks be to God. As 2 Timothy 1:11 said: And God chose me to be a preacher and preacher I will remain.