Sermon Tone Analysis

*Who are you going to blame?

\\ \\ *Ezekiel 18:2-4 \\ \\ I.Someone else is always to blame.

\\ \\ A. Our families.

\\ \\ 1) De Loney  children play "pass the buck."

\\ \\ 2) Ezekiel - our fathers sinned, we get the aftertaste.

\\ 18:2-4 \\ 2. What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: “The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge?

(the children’s mouths pucker) \\ 3.

As surely as I live, declares the Soverign Lord, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel.

\\ 4. For every living soul belongs to me, the father as well as the son—both alike belong to me.

The soul who sins is the one who will die.

\\ \\ a) Scripture Appears to be complaint about God’s \\ unfairness.

\\ \\ 1> Our parents sinned, so why should we suffer?

\\ \\ 2> The Israelites actually took comfort in this proverb \\ because they thought it got them off the hook.

\\ \\ b) The prophet Ezekiel says they sin just as much as \\ their parents, and so properly share the blame.

\\ \\ In Discipleship Journal, Don McCullough wrote: "John Killinger tells about the manager of a minor league baseball team who was so disgusted with his center fielder’s performance that he ordered him to the dugout and assumed the position himself.

The first ball that came into center field took a bad hop and hit the manager in the mouth.

The next one was a high fly ball, which he lost in the glare of the sun--until it bounced off his forehead.

The third was a hard line drive that he charged with outstretched arms; unfortunately, it flew between is hands and smacked his eye.

Furious, he ran back to the dugout, grabbed the center fielder by the uniform, and shouted.

’You idiot!

You’ve got center field so messed up that even I can’t do a thing with it!

\\ \\ \\ B. Our chromosomes.

\\ \\ 1) Some say that Alcoholism is due to a genetic \\ sequence.

\\ \\ 2) Homosexuality is said to have a genetic basis, or \\ to be due to a part of the brain called the hypothalamus.

\\ \\ 3) Fat may be due to another genetic sequence, not ice \\ cream.

\\ \\ 4) BLAME THE MIRROR... \\ for what you see? \\ Honey if a donkey looks in the mirror, he need not \\ expect to see a prophet’s reflection.

Mirror, \\ mirror on the wall, you better say what I expect.

\\ \\ C. Our society.

\\ \\ 1) Teachers are expected to be social workers, and held \\ accountable for results.

Sue if kids can’t read.

\\ \\ 2) The government makes a handy villain.

It does \\ nothing right.

\\ \\ \\ II.

Someone else must get me out of this \\ mess.

\\ \\ A. Parents are to bail us out, no questions asked.

\\ \\ B. Technology is a great cure-all.

\\ \\ A few years ago Charles Swindoll wrote about how we expect science to solve all our personal problems.

\\ He said we are always awaiting the new magical pill that will enable us to eat all the fattening food we want, and not gain weight.

\\ \\ In our minds, at least, technology is always on the verge of liberating us from personal discipline and responsibility.

\\ Only it never does and it never will.

\\ \\ C. EXCUSE IT... \\ REMOVE BLAME, exempt me, justify, \\ 1. Please release me.

\\ 2.

Not correct it... \\ 3. Explain away ... rationalize.

\\ a. Master I bought a piece of land?

... you’ve \\ already seen the land.

\\ b.

I purchased a new tractor?

Oxen? ... you’ve \\ already tried the vehicle.

\\ c.

I just got married?

... Move the date forward or \\ backward... Classes of excuses... \\ \\ A. HIDE ... \\ to put out of sight, conceal, keep secret, evade, \\ JUST BURY YOUR BROTHER.... AM I HIS KEEPER?

\\ You may have the body buried, but just because \\ things may be out of your sight and memory does not \\ mean God can’t see.

\\ \\ Concealed behaviors by nature expose a danger.

\\ \\ B. COVER-UP ... \\ Let’s mask it...To wear a mask does not change who \\ you are? Can you disguise yourself that your Mother \\ does not know you?

Can covering up things protect \\ you?

Are you playing games?

Is life a masquerade?

\\ Can we disguise our true character and intentions?

\\ A skunk may say, I am getting a bad rap,but he \\ still stinks \\ \\ C. God will do in a pinch.

He becomes a fire \\ department.

\\ \\ 1) We expect God to give us money, save our marriage, \\ make us happy, and then we might believe in Him.

\\ \\ \\ 2) It is a common attitude.

One Ledgewoodian told me: \\ \\ "I prayed to stop smoking, and God didn’t take \\ the desire away.

He didn’t take away my desire \\ to gamble, and he hasn’t brought back my wife.

\\ Religion doesn’t work."

\\ \\ 3) God isn’t magical.

He works through our obedience.

\\ \\ \\ III.

Take charge of your life.

\\ \\ A. We believe people are accountable for their \\ actions.

\\ \\ Bed mattresses in America used to be filled with a stuffing of corn shucks.

Each year it was the children’s job to refill the family’s bed mattresses.

\\ They had to be very careful to use the right amount of shucks for each bed.

\\ \\ If the children were careless or hurried, they might run out of shucks before they got to their own mattresses.

Then they would have to fill their own mattresses with straw or other inferior materials.This would often leave their mattresses lumpy.

From this practice comes the saying: \\ "You made your bed, so lie in it."

\\ \\ \\ B. Ezekiel makes this point.

Ezek 18:4 \\ 4 For all people are mine to judge—both parents and children alike.

And this is my rule: The person who sins will be the one who dies.

\\ “The soul that sins will surely die”KJV \\ 1) God looks at individuals.

\\ \\ 2) Each one will answer for his or her actions.

\\ \\ 3) One life, then death, then judgment.

Heb 9:27 \\ 27And as it is appointed for men to die once, but \\ after this the judgment, \\ \\ a) Friends and family can’t hurt us then, nor help us.

\\ \\ b) We will stand by ourselves before God.

\\ \\ \\ C. Move beyond victimhood.

\\ \\ 1) Accept blame when you are responsible.

\\ \\ a) Jonah didn’t obey God till he got to this point.

\\ Jonah 1:12 12“Throw me into the sea,” Jonah \\ said, “and it will become calm again.

For I know \\ that this terrible storm is all my fault.”

\\ \\ 2) Address the root of the problem.

\\ \\ 3) Do what is right, whether it "works" or not.

\\ \\ IV.

It is possible to change.

\\ \\ A. The good news from Jesus is all about how we \\ can change.

\\ \\ 1) No one is perfect, except your wife’s first husband.

\\ \\ 2) Worse people than us have been converted - 1 Cor.

\\ 6:11.

11And such were some of you.

But you were \\ washed, but you were sanctified, but you were \\ justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the \\ Spirit of our God.

\\ a) He doesn’t just accept them, he makes them different \\ \\ B. Brain structure and genetics are not destiny.

\\ \\ 1) Research is exploding, but often misapplied.

\\ \\ a) No research says genetics forces us in a behavior.