Ezekiel 22:30
The Man God Seeks
Portions of this message may be difficult for some, but instead of
you turning the message off or just walk out, I pray that you will
listen to it in the spirit with which it is intended.
Eze 22:30 And I sought for a man among them,
that should make up the hedge, and stand in the
gap before me for the land, that I should not
destroy it: but I found none.
Never in America’s history has this verse applied more to our country
than today. In fact, I do not know that this verse adequately
compares our condition today.
Israel was in bad shape in Ezekiel’s day. The same prophet who penned
these words would still preaching when Israel was conquered by the
Babylonians, much of its population being be killed, many more taken
as prisoners to a foreign land, and the remainder scattered through
the nations. Yet, God described Israel’s condition has a hedge WITH A
GAP that needed to be filled. I believe America is more of a hedge
uprooted and completely cast aside.
Even so, the cure for what ails American is the same as the cure that
could have saved Israel. Men needed to stand where and how God told
them. God was and is looking for men to stand in the gaps.
On this Father’s Day, let me share a few thoughts with you.
I. God is looking for men.
A. God is not looking for women to stand in this gap.
1. Ladies, you do not qualify to stand in this gap; although
I am certain, some of you well could.
2. You are saved, love Jesus, already serve Jesus, and want
to do even more for Him.
3. But this is not a gap God wants you to fill.
4 God is looking for men.
B. Again, the verse says that God is looking for men, not
homosexuals, transgenders, or any of the other 30 something
man-made genders, to stand in the gap.
1. I am not trying to be funny or ugly, but if you don’t know
what a man is, you are not qualified to stand in this
gap.
2. God created men, and God created woman.
a. If you don’t know, understand, and accept that, you
are not qualified to stand in the gap.
b. Just to be frank, you, your mindset and your
lifestyle are part of what the men God is calling are
to stand against.
C. Two thoughts:
1. To the Confused: If you are in or thinking about this
sinful lifestyle, know that God has condemned it, both
in the Old and the New Testament.
Lev 18:22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as
with womankind: it is abomination.
Lev 20:13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he
lieth with a woman, both of them have committed
an abomination: they shall surely be put to
death; their blood shall be upon them.
Romans 1:26 For this cause God gave them up unto
vile affections: for even their women did change
the natural use into that which is against
nature:
27 And likewise also the men, leaving the
natural use of the woman, burned in their lust
one toward another; men with men working that
which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves
that recompence of their error which was meet.
a. I know the world is teaching that it is all right.
b. I do not think it was by accident that June, the month
we celebrate fathers, happens to be pride month for
those whom the devil has confused and deceived.
c. The devil wants such people to stand up and stand
proud, but they need to know that God has not made
them that way
d. To engage in that behavior is rebellion against God,
and God decreed before He ever created the world the
judgement for those who die in rebellion against Him,
HELL.
e. You may feel that you have sinned against God in such
a way that you cannot be forgiven, but you can.
f. Sin is sin and Jesus came to die for sinners.
g. Not only can God save you, He can change you.
2. To the Saved: Christians need to put aside hate and rage
for those who are engaging in this sin.
a. Hate and rage are just as sinful and more often
condemned in the Bible than homosexuality.
b. Remember, sin is sin.
c. The fact is that homosexuality and all of the other
twisted sins are on the rise only because the church
failed to do what God called to do.
c. Their sin is as much a condemnation of the church as
it is of them.
d. If we had been the kind of church God called us to be,
we’d have gotten the gospel to them and their parents
before the devil’s crowd polluted their minds and
hearts in the first place.
e. Instead of our railing against them, we should be
asking their forgiveness and doubling our efforts to
win them to Christ and to help them experience the
life changing power of Jesus.
D. So first, God is looking for men.
1. Daddies, you could qualify, but do you.
2. There is more.
II. God is looking for a certain KIND of man.
A. God is looking for saved men.
1. Again if you are not saved, you do not qualify to stand in
this gap.
2. I understand that you may be a good person.
a. It is possible that you are of high morals, good
reputation, honest work ethic, and faithful
character; but even with all that goodness, you do
not qualify to stand in the gap.
b. I know and acknowledge that there are good people on
this globe who have never been saved.
(1) For years I have heard and even used the
expression that man is totally depraved.
(a) The Bible does not say that.
(b) I don’t think he is.
(2) What the Bible says is that man is totally
separated from God.
(3) There is a difference.
(a) If man were totally depraved, then he would
have no desire to find God; he would not
look for God; and he would not consider as
good the "the law written in their hearts,
\\#Romans 2:15\\.
(b) But if man is totally separated, he can
still do good things.
i. He can search for God.
ii. He can keep at least some of God’s
commands.
iii. He can even fool himself into
believing that he belongs to God!
c. Church Member: Here is an extreme danger for everyone
sitting on church pews this morning.
(1) It is possible that you have confused your
goodness with salvation.
(2) It is a common mistake.
(3) You don’t beat your kids or the dogs; you don’t
steal; you go to church.
(4) You try to keep the Ten Commandments, but you
have never acknowledged that despite all of
that, you are a sinner, unworthy of heaven,
and you have never cast yourself upon the
cross of Jesus as your only hope for heaven!
(5) If that is the case, not only can you not stand
in the gap, but you cannot go to heaven!
B. God is looking for spiritual men.
1. Just as good men are not necessarily saved men, so neither
saved men necessarily spiritual men.
a. They should be.
b. Many aren’t.
2. If you are not a spiritual man—even though you may be a
saved man—you still do not qualify to stand in this gap.
3. Spiritual is a big term.
C. What do we mean by it?
1. Spiritual people are Holy Spirit lead.
a. If you are not a saved man lead by the Holy Spirit,
you will not know where to stand or for what we are
to stand.
1Cor 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the
things of the Spirit of God: for they are
foolishness unto him: neither can he know them,
because they are spiritually discerned.
b. It is sad but some of the biggest enemies of the
church are good men, even saved men, who are NOT
filled with or lead by the Holy Ghost.
c. Isn’t it sad that for every righteous cause you can
think of, someone who claims Christ, claims
salvation, and claims to know God stands against Him.
(1) If you believe they are what they say, then there
are Christian churches pastored by Christian
shepherds who say that homosexuality is not a sin.
(2) If you believe they are what they say, then there
are Christian churches pastored by Christian
shepherds who say Jesus is not the only way to
heaven.
(3) If you believe they are what they say, then there
are Christian churches pastored by Christian
shepherds who say that the Bible is not the
inspired, inerrant, preserved Word of God.
(4) I am not their judge, but I don’t believe they
are who they say.
d. The same thing is true concerning America.
(1) Many who call themselves Christians believe in the
cancel culture, the woke mentality, open
boarders, and socialism.
(2) What’s more, they thinks the Bible and reason are
on his side.
(3) I think that they need a good dose of the Holy
Ghost; but that is all right. I’d like to have
several more helpings myself.
e. The problem for those who are not saved and spiritual
is that no human being can figure out where God wants
them to stand and for what God wants them to stand
unless he is guided by the Holy Spirit.
2. Spiritual men are sanctified men.
a. To be sanctified does not mean Christians are sinless,
but it does mean they will sin less.
b. The word means to be set a part, not to be common or
unclean.
c. Jesus prayed that the Father would sanctify us, in
praying, He told us what tool will sanctify us.
Joh 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy
word is truth.
d. It is the Word of God.
e. The more we read and obey the Word of God, the more we
like Jesus we will become and the more different we
will be—inside and out.
3. Spiritual men are sensitive.
a. Sensitive to God and to others.
b. Not boo-hoo sensitive, but "God can help you"
sensitive.
D. God is looking for strong men.
1. I am afraid that even if you are a man, even if you are a
saved man, even if you are a spiritual man, if you are
not a strong man, you are not qualified to stand in this
gap.
a. Why?
b. Because the men who stand in the gap must not merely
take the position, they must hold it.
2. When I am speaking of strength, I am not speaking of
physical strength but of strength of character.
3. God is looking for a man to stand in this gap that will
stand and keep on standing.
a. Men who will stand when the world laughs at them.
b. Men who will stand when the boss fires them.
c. Men who will stand when their family doesn’t
understand them.
d. Men who will stand when the law arrests them.
e. Men who will stand when the state prosecutes them.
f. Men who will stand when the devil’s crowd hurts and
even kills them.
4. Maybe you have not noticed it, but this world is running
at top speeds against God and God’s commandments.
5. Like a tide wall that stands against the unrelenting fury
of the sea so the men who stand in these gaps must stand
strong no matter what the world or the devil hurls at
them.
6. So much so that just as salvation and spirituality are
necessary, so strength is needed if you are going stand
in this gap.
III. The kind of men that God is looking for are not born but born
again, dedicated, and then re-made by the hand of God.
A. It is obvious that there are not a lot of men like this. If
there were, neither out church, our families, nor our nation
would be in the peril they are in today.
B. We need men to stand in the gap today!
C. Daddies, as I have preached for years, we are running out of
time.
1. I can promise you that:
a. What this world has to offer is not worth what it will
cost you.
b. What this world has to offer will not remain intact
once God does what He has promised to do.‘
1. I believe God would revive our homes, our churches, and
even our nation, if men would step into the gap.
2. No matter who you are, you are somewhere on the rung of
steps I have addressed today:
a. Maybe you have not reached the first step and are
confused about your sexuality. Start by
acknowledging God is right and trusting His Son to
save you and change you.
b. Maybe you are the good man with the morals and
fidelity of a Puritan, but you have never trusted
Jesus to save you. Do so today, right now, this very
moment.
c. Maybe you are the saved but not the spiritual. You
have accepted Jesus as your Savior but not as your
Lord. Rectify that this morning. Become a true
soldier of the cross.
d. Perhaps you know Jesus, perhaps you have a
relationship with the Holy Spirit, but courage and
fortitude are lacking. Let God remake your heart
as He has rebuilt your soul. Start standing and
stand regardless.
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