Listening to the Right Voices

Listening to the Right Preacher
Ezekiel 31-35
“Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock?”
In our age of mobility and mass media, we are inundated with options, people, and churches that claim to speak for God but preach very different messages.  In today’s world, we can easily find a church, a preacher, a writer, a podcaster… and the list goes on… each affirming that they are proclaiming God’s message but preaching contradictory messages.  How, then, do we navigate this landscape and know we are listening to the right people with the right messages?
This question is not just a question we deal with today; it was the same question the people of Israel were confronted with in the time of Ezekiel.  There were individuals who claimed to be prophets from God and announced peace and prosperity, while others (such as Ezekiel) warned of impending judgment.  In chapters 33-34, God issues a harsh rebuke to those who were false prophets, and in this warning we find several characteristics that distinguish false teachers from those genuinely sent by God.
First, one is genuinely from God is one who remains faithful to proclaim the totality of God’s message (33:7). Faithful preachers from God proclaim the whole counsel of God. The best way to gain popularity is to tell people what they want to hear.  However, the task of a preacher is not to tell people what they want to hear, but to tell them what God has said.  Do they teach the totality of the Biblical message or only the message that is popular and what we want to hear?
Second, a genuine spokesperson from God confronts sin and warns of God’s judgment upon sin (33:3-6).  Judgment is never popular.  We want an affirming message rather than a condemning message. We want a message that promises peace, not one that warns of judgment.  Just as it is true today, so it was also true in Ezekiel’s time.  As the storm clouds of war and the invasion of the Assyrians and Egyptians were looming, people wanted to hear a message of God’s deliverance rather than a message that confronted their sin and warned of impending judgment.  The responsibility of one who speaks on behalf of God is to confront sin and warn of the coming judgment upon those who practice it (7-9).  
Third, one who is from God also proclaims a message of hope.  Along with the message of God’s judgment and justice is the message of His grace and salvation.  While denouncing sin, we are always to proclaim the offer of God’s grace (33:10-11).  God will bring the severity of His judgment upon those who sin, but He also offers the hope of salvation to those who turn from their sin and seek Him (33:10-11).  False teaching is not just teaching what is false, but also only proclaiming half the truth.  A god who is loving but not just is a god who approves sin.  A god who is judging but unloving is a tyrant.  One who is a genuine spokesperson from God will keep both of these in balance.
Third, a genuine shepherd of God is one who cares about people and is willing to sacrifice for the people.  They are not concerned about their popularity, success, or career advancement.  Rather, they are willing to sacrifice for the people they serve.  They confront sin in order to offer the hope of grace (34:1-5).  
Instead of looking for a church and a pastor who are popular or who tell us only what we want to hear, we need to look at their message.  Does the pastor affirm and faithfully proclaim the totality of the Biblical message?  Do they confront sin and proclaim the hope of forgiveness?  Do they warn of judgment, but give the hope of salvation and the grace of God?  Are they concerned about career advancement or about being a faithful shepherd of the people?