Focus continued
God’s message (2:1-10), (“within” and “without” - meaning extensive content - literally both sides). He who would deliver God’s Word must first digest it. Note Ezekiel’s preparation for preaching to others. He fed on the Word (3:1-3); He spoke the Word plainly in their language (3:4-6). The people’s deafness to the Word was not to dampen his passion in preaching the Word (3: 7-10). Ezekiel’s name means “seized by God” and only a man seized by God can be sustained in a rebellious culture (3:11-16). Preaching with no burden leaves people empty. Teaching which only leaves people with someone’s personal dreams of success is vain. Lightness in the pulpit that removes the burden to fulfil the commands of God and our Lord Jesus Christ does not edify the body of Christ, or expose the sins that are destroying God’s people. 2. Ezekiel is called upon to represent God through Visual Communication, (Ezekiel 12:3). A key phrase in Ezekiel 12 is “in their sight”. Ezekiel was to use drama to portray his message. Symbolic
drama was used several times by Ezekiel to support his preaching of the Word. Ezekiel, in this chapter, has two visual-effects sermons to perform and will be called upon to do many more throughout his ministry. He was told to dig a tunnel and prepare his baggage for moving, and eat and drink his meals with trembling (12:1-16). The first was a picture of the king’s vain attempt to escape God’s judgment by Babylon; whereas the prophet’s trembling was intended to demonstrate the importance of taking God’s judgment seriously. It was his way of announcing a “News Alert” or “Storm Warning.” One lesson to be learned from Ezekiel’s visual communication is that visual communication was meant to reinforce the verbal message of judgement not replace it with an entertaining alternate message (Ezekiel 12:2; Isaiah 6:9). A second lesson is that God wanted Ezekiel to be a live-action sermon in their sight (12:1-7). The message cannot be separated from the messenger. Ezekiel was not using the visual communication to win a
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STUDENT ENROLMENT
CANADA
48 STUDENTS
1 STUDENT
job postings
2013-2014
TOTAL STUDENT BODY 59 BRAZIL
Christian Academy Award nomination for best performance by a prophet. His preaching was receiving a “thumbs up” for performance but God gave the people a “thumbs down” because they heard and paid no attention to the content and reality of the message (Ezekiel 33:30-33). God desires for men to know Him and He will be known through His love (John 3:16) and His judgment upon Israel in His dispersion of them throughout the nations (Ezekiel 12:14-16).
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USA
10 STUDENTS
1
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19 6 1 2 1
SINGLE LADIES
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23 JU N
SINGLE MEN
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15 I SEN
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14 AB
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7 MARRIED STUDENTS
3 married men, 0 married ladies
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