Expand Your Missions Passion

14 June 2009

Ezekiel 33: 1-20

This week’s study was prepared by Ps Cory Schut

1. Realise that you need to expand your missions passion.

This journey started for me when I went to the Safe Driver training within Wesley Mission. The instructor started the session by having us rate ourselves in confidence and in skill on a scale from 1-9. Where are you? He then asked who rated themselves a 4 or above on skill. Who thinks they’re above average? Almost everyone raised their hand. He then said, “Isn’t that remarkable? Wesley Mission only hires above average drivers.” Everywhere he goes, he gets the same response.

I thought it was interesting that these other people thought too highly of themselves…but not me…I was being honest! He then went through and asked some characteristics of bad drivers… tailgating, speeding, eating Maccas while you drive… Funny thing was that I was coming from the city and it was lunch time and what did I do? I was eating Maccas! I’m that guy!

The whole point of the driving course was not to convince you that you were below average. But it was to say that there is a gap between where you think you are and where you really are. There is always a gap. He called it a self-interest bias. Your image of yourself is higher than your actual skill level.

By the end of the day I was still convinced that I was probably better than average, but I now realise that there is a gap between where I think I am- and where I really am.

The overwhelming majority of people believe themselves to be above average because everyone has what is called a self-interest bias.

The safer driver is actually the person who knows they are not that great, so they pay more attention to their driving. The attentive driver is actually the safe driver.

There is a gap…we all have it.

Take that perspective and apply it to Ezekiel 33:13-17 13 "When I say to the righteous he will surely live, and he so trusts in his righteousness that he commits iniquity, none of his righteous deeds will be remembered; but in that same iniquity of his which he has committed he will die. 14 "But when I say to the wicked, 'You will surely die,' and he turns from his sin and practices justice and righteousness, 15 if a wicked man restores a pledge, pays back what he has taken by robbery, walks by the statutes which ensure life without committing iniquity, he will surely live; he shall not die. 16 "None of his sins that he has committed will be remembered against him. He has practiced justice and righteousness; he will surely live. 17 "Yet your fellow citizens say, 'The way of the Lord is not right,' when it is their own way that is not right.

Did you get that? When the upright person stumbles, then all that he has done right is worthless and he will be judged because God’s standard is perfection.
But if the wicked man does everything wrong, but then repents and turns from his wicked way, he will be SAVED!

God wants the person who realises his wickedness and wants to change - HE DOESN’T WANT THE PERSON WHO THINKS THEY’RE ABOVE AVERAGE.

Look at Jesus’ ministry- It was much easier to reach someone who knew where they were and realised they needed God than it was to try and convict the people who were “better than average”.

You are not above average, and even if you are- it’s not enough.

Our first step in increasing our missionary passion is to realise the gap between where we think we are and where God sees us to be. We must realise that we have failed and that we need God to do something in our hearts and lives.

2. How do I enhance my missionary passion?

Have you ever watched a movie where the bad guy gets away with it? It bothers us when the bad guy gets away with it. We want to see justice.

We project this onto God. We think that God is the almighty “smiter” looking for someone to smite…like He’s on a power trip. But look closely.

Ezekiel 33:11 11 "Say to them, 'As I live!' declares the Lord God, 'I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?'"

He is the almighty forgiver looking for who he can forgive!

He’s not the roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour- that’s the devil!

If we are going to have any missionary passion at all it is going to be based on the love of God and not on the wrath of God.

3. Live Compassionately

If we are going to expand our mission passion, then we need to do something we’ve never done before.

Our tendency is to do the easy stuff because it makes us feel good. But this is not Christianity.

Christianity is doing the difficult thing because that’s what we’re called to do. When Jesus went to the cross, he was taking the difficult road in order to bring life to others.

Your self-interest bias will lead you to do the easy stuff because it makes you feel above average. However, God is calling you to take up your cross, do what is difficult and make a real and lasting change in someone else’s life.

Over to you

Have you ever played a game where the umpire or referee seemed to prefer the opposing team? Have you watched sport on TV where the call always went against your team? How did that make you feel? If you are like me, then it makes you very frustrated. It’s not fair!

Let me ask you another question. Have you ever played a game or watched a match where the call went your way even though it shouldn’t have? How did that make you feel? Did you laugh? Did you just say, “That’s the way life is, sometimes you get the call, sometimes you don’t.” The same injustice was done, but it was done to another person.

The world we live in is not always fair. In fact, it is quite unfair. In Job 21:7, Job cries out, “Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power?” The Psalms are also loaded with cries for God to bring justice.

In our world the balance of power is tipped in our favour. The question for us is, Will we continue to ignore injustice because “that’s just the way life is” or, will we “defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; [and] maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.” Psalm 82:3 (NIV)’?

Many blessings, Cory

Something to think or talk about

See http://www.wesleymission.org.au/homepage.asp for helpful notes on this passage. Click on Christian Life, Sermons. You don’t have to answer all the questions: choose those that seem most relevant.

Read: Ezekiel 33:1-11

Part One:
Read Ezekiel 33: 1-11.
1. Discuss the role of the watchman as laid out in these verses.
2. In what way is the watchman a missionary to his/her own culture?
3. What kind of emotion is depicted in verse 11? What is the attitude here that God is trying to correct?
4. Does God’s mercy ever run out? Why or why not?
5. Are there people who you would prefer to get what they deserve rather than see them repent? Where does this feeling come from?
6. What if God told you to be a watchman over them, and to plead with them to turn from their way? How would you respond?

Part Two:
Read Ezekiel 12-20
7. What is the standard that God is setting for the righteous person?
8. What is the standard that God is setting for the wicked person?
9. Which one are you?
10. Why do people think God’s judgment is unfair? What is it that God wants in the end?

Christian Life