Our consideration in this piece is being a witness in a rebellious generation, focusing on the disciple. Let’s begin with the Book of Revelation chapter 12:7-12; there is a reality I want us to see together before we return to the focus of this piece. The Bible says:
“And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. 9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God, day and night, has been cast down. 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. 12 Therefore rejoice O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”
The Bible says, “Woe”, the first thing is “Rejoice O heavens, and you who dwell in them!” And again, it says, Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea!” What is the reason for the rejoicing in heaven, but the woeful situation on the earth? The Bible says, “For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath.” So, the central reason for the joy in heaven, but sadness on the heart is not because of some scientific condition, climate change; it is because the devil has been sent down from heaven to the earth. That's the reason the earth is in a woeful state. That's the reason the heaven is peaceful and rejoicing, the devil has been sent out. Why? The Bible says, “He came with a great wrath because he knows, he has a very short time.”
So, no matter how many years we spend on earth, no matter how many years mankind has been on the earth, the Bible says, “It is a short time for the devil.” So, the devil is moving to and fro on the earth with great wrath; he is causing the earth havoc and mayhem because he has come with great wrath. Great wrath means great anger. He is angry, furious, and bitter. He's unrepentant, unforgiving, unrelenting. What does he want to do? The Bible says in the Book of John chapter 10 verses 10, “The thief comes not but to steal, to kill, and to destroy, but I have come that you may have life and have it more abundantly.” So, the reason why there will be no joy so to say on the earth is because the devil has been sent out. So don't get yourself into a state where you think it is because a government is in power, or somebody is this, or somebody is that, that's why you're not at rest.
The real cause of your restlessness, sadness is because the devil is on the earth; and he has just one mission: to kill, to steal, and to destroy. When you hear watchman, where do you normally use that word; in what circumstance? The term watchman is commonly used for security. When there is a challenge, there is a war, a crisis, and you need somebody to watch over something or a place, right? It might require that the watchmen involved could be doing it in turn; they are taking shifts to watch. If there is a danger, then they would warn the people, but when there is peace, there may be no need for any watchman.
In like manner, when you see a disciple as a watchman, you know there is a problem. You could say there is fire on the mountain; somebody needs to see the fire and warn the rest. That is what makes this matter a concern for us to look at: Being A Witness in A Rebellious Generation, in a generation that has the spirit of rebellion, moving to and fro in it. Having seen this, let's go to the Book of Ezekiel chapter 2, we will start our reading from verse 1; the Bible says:
2 Then the Spirit entered me when He spoke to me, and set me on my feet; and I heard Him who spoke to me. 3 And He said to me: “Son of man, I am sending you to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day. 4 For they are impudent and stubborn children. I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ 5 As for them, whether they hear or whether they refuse—for they are a rebellious house—yet they will know that a prophet has been among them.
Look at that verse 5, it can be confusing because of the hyphen, I think there is a particular word or phrase that when you remove it, it looks like a continuation. Now look at it, “as for them, whether they hear or refuse, yet they will know that a prophet has been among them.” You are going to speak to a rebellious people, but look at it, this is what you will say to them. Say to them, “Thus says the Lord God.’ 5 As for them, whether they hear or whether they refuse—for they are a rebellious house—yet they will know that a prophet has been among them.” A man is among you who have the responsibility of speaking the mind of God to you. You cannot claim ignorance of the mind of God, the will of God; you can only claim that you will rather do what you please, or you will do what the Lord pleases.
The issue would not be “we don't know what the Lord wants us to do”; the issue will be “we know what the Lord wants us to do, but we choose to do our own.” Like God wants it to be clear before everyone, before the people, before himself, that he has done what he needs to do, but the people have chosen to do what they think they should do. In Jeremiah chapter 6 verse 16, the Bible says, “Thus says the Lord: “Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.”
They said, “We will not walk in it” not because they do not know how to walk in it, not because they are ignorant that there is a way for their rest and peace; but they have chosen not to walk in it. So, just like that for these people also, God was going to be clear. He was going to be clear in the sense that these people don't form ignorance of the perfect will of God for them. These people don't claim “God, we don't hear anybody speak to us about you.” These people will not claim “Lord, nobody ever told us what we are doing is wrong. Lord, nobody ever told us this is the way, walk in it.” But they will say “there was a prophet among us, he spoke, but we chose not to listen.” Do you understand?
Now, imagine a people that died of diseases, but they were aware there is a doctor, there is a pharmacist, and there is a nurse among them; they just choose to die. I don't know if you understand it. Like people are aware that there are set of people that can heal them, and they are there, but they choose not to go to those people who can heal them; those who can treat them, those who can nurture them, and care for them; but they choose to remain in their problems. That is what God was showing them. You would acknowledge that there is a deliverer among you. You would acknowledge that there was one among you that preached the oracles of God which shared the word of God with you. But you would also acknowledge that you chose not to do anything about what he has said from the Lord.
This is the state in which God was to the people of Israel. He said, “They were a rebellious house”. God himself knew they wouldn't listen. Yet, God does not want them to complain to him at the end, “we are being doomed because nobody taught us how not to be doomed”. God wanted them to say that we are doomed because we chose to be doomed. Let’s continue in Ezekiel Chapter 2 from verse 6:
“And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them [Do not be afraid of the generation that you are born in. Don't be afraid of the people around you] nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you dwell among scorpions; do not be afraid of their words or dismayed by their looks, though they are a rebellious house. 7 You shall speak My words to them, whether they hear or whether they refuse, for they are rebellious.
I don't know how many people that God is raising to reach out to a rebellious generation. I don't know whether we as a people have actually been raised or are being raised by God, to reach out on a daily or consistent basis to a rebellious generation? And God is saying to us, “Don't be afraid of them, don't be afraid of their words; their criticisms.” They could ridicule you or make you look like you are ignorant or stupid, but you don't know what you should do. God is saying to you, “Don't be afraid of them, you shall speak by words to them.” According to Acts of the Apostles chapter 1 verses 8, when Jesus was saying, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Remember, we are looking at witnessing to a rebellious generation. Jesus said, “You will be witnesses onto Me”. Again, God said, “You will speak My words them.”
When you are facing or you are faced with a rebellious nation, do you speak the words of rebellion to the rebellious people, or do you speak the words of righteousness? Do you speak the words that the people want to hear, or you speak the word that God has put in your mouth? This is the challenge for us today. God has warned us ahead of time. He said, “And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you dwell among scorpions; do not be afraid of their words or dismayed by their looks, though they are a rebellious house, you shall speak my words to them.”
Though they are a rebellious generation, yet what are you supposed to do? You shall speak God's Word to them. What they want to hear is something else, but you shall speak God's Word them. In the book of Hebrews chapter 4 verse 12, the Bible says, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” “You shall speak My Word to them”, not the word of Bro. Adedeji or Bro. Benjamin. The disciples of Jesus spoke to a generation that was not open to them after Jesus ascended to heaven, and the Holy Ghost had come upon the disciples. And at a point, the people were cut to the heart.
When Jesus spoke to certain people, the people testified that their hearts burned within them. That is what can happen to a people that hear the Word of God. So, God is not telling you to go and take your stick or cutlass to fight them to force them to stop rebelling against Him. No, God says speak “My Word to them.” It is sharper than any two-edged sword, it is able to cut their hearts. It is able to prick their hearts, it is able to make them burn within them. It is able to set men and women on fire. The Word of God is able to reach places in their hearts, in their lives, that you don't know and you cannot reach yourself. Don’t get frustrated; don't say since they will never listen to me, let me keep quiet. No! The Lord will still show us why you must not keep quiet.
Witnessing to a rebellious generation requires you and I to speak the word of God. You know the people are not interested, you still speak it, notwithstanding. You speak it as a witness. The first place we read in Revelation; Revelations chapter 12 verse 11, it says, “And they overcame him [the dragon] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.” The words of their testimony; when you witness you are testifying. The words of their testimony became the instrument through which they overcame; with which they overcame the dragon. The dragon came to the earth with a great wrath, if we must overcome him, it is not by carrying cutlasses or guns, it is by speaking God's Word, it is about speaking God's Word. The words of their testimony, testifying, “the Lord has said this, and I say it. This is what the Lord has proposed to do. I declare it, I testify.”
What is our own testimony? What is it that the Lord has said to us in the secret place, that we have to declare in the open? What is it that the Lord has told us in the peace times that we have to say in the times of war? What is it that the Lord is declaring to a people, who have itching ears, a people who are not willing to hear God, a people whose heart are cold? What is the Lord saying to them? Are you keeping quiet, when God is speaking to them; or you are speaking as the Lord is speaking to them? Eventually, God made Ezekiel to eat the scroll, and he said, it was sweet like honey within him. But let's continue in chapter 3, God made him to realize that He (God) was sending him to the people he is familiar with. He said, “Not a people who have unfamiliar speech and of hard language.”
Usually, to make things easy for us, God is expecting us to speak to people that hear the language you speak. God is not belaboring us, He's not asking you to go and speak to the French people when it is obvious you can’t speak it, or the Italians when you lack the ability to learn their common language. Go and speak English to those who understand the language, speak Igala to Igala people. The design of God is so that no man will have an excuse. Do you see why I can speak is because I cannot speak the language of these people. Go to the people that you can speak their language. And you cannot tell God, “Lord, I did not know that what I'm doing is bad because everyone that spoke, spoke to me in the language that I was not familiar with.” God expects you to speak to familiar people in their own language; in the language that you yourself you're familiar with.
Let’s take chapter 3 verse 10, “Moreover He said to me: “Son of man, receive into your heart all My words that I speak to you, and hear with your ears. 11 And go, get to the captives, to the children of your people, and speak to them and tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ whether they hear, or whether they refuse.” Is this normal to you? Imagine when you hear that, “Thus says the Lord,” it means God wants to speak. But it's like the only word they should hear is whether you hear, whether you refuse. God said I should talk to you brother, “Whether you hear, whether you refuse.” Let's jump to verse 16. “Now it came to pass at the end of seven days that the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel;” The same people that are a rebellious house, “therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me.”
So, if you're looking at yourself now as a disciple of Jesus Christ, who is also a watchman, what is your responsibility? God said, “Therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me.” So, if you have not heard anything from the mouth of God, you have nothing to warn the people with. There's a responsibility upon us to wait upon God to the point that God can speak to us. It looks as if everything is moving like this; it looks as if everything is about to scatter, but the Lord is speaking in the midst of the storm; hear the Word of the Lord in the midst of the storm, and give the people a warning from the Lord. That is our job! But look at it, it is not always easy to talk to a people who are unrepentant.
But verse 18 says:
“When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. 19 Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.”
The Bible says: “Those who win souls are wise”. Winning souls also has the implicit implication of you and me also winning our own souls. Soul winning means winning someone over to God. Where you win people over to God, you have also won yourself too. Now, look at it, if somebody is wicked, and God gives you a word to him, God is saying, “If you do not tell such a person, this is the mind of God concerning your wickedness and concerning you, the person will surely die.” Where will the person go? The person will go for eternal judgment. But God says, “His blood I will require it from you.”
Imagine you in your righteousness that you have abandoned all, and you have followed God. Imagine you, you have sacrificed so much. Instead of you to enter into your rest, God is demanding the blood of another person from you. What is the implication of God demanding the blood from us; could that even be a stumbling block for us to enter into our rest? Imagine, you have been living very well; you abandoned these, you forsake these, you live a life that is consistent with the will of God, but what was your only mistake on earth? You never told a wicked man, “Sir, you are wicked, and you're going to die in your wickedness, and God will judge you, but if you don't want to be judged by God, sir, please, turn out of your wickedness.”
That God says, “In all your life, you never told any wicked person that.” And that is going to be something that will hang on your life; hang on your destiny, eternally. I think is too weighty to play with. Do you understand? But God says, “If you talk to such a wicked person, and yet he doesn't listen to you, you would have delivered your soul.” So, Sir/Ma, instead of us fighting on Facebook or fighting physically; saying “Jesus is Lord, if you don’t give your life to Jesus, you will die.” Instead of doing all that, relax. What is God expecting you to say; speak! If they can even read your tweets or your posts; they been witness to, the Word will stand against them eternally. As soon as you've typed it on your Facebook or your WhatsApp, you have done the will of God, relax. Don't let you your muscle follow the word.
He said, “Hear a Word from My Mouth.” The Word that you hear from the mouth of God; that’s the important thing, collect it from God. Let it become a tool, it can be a picture, it can be a phrase, the way you do your graphics, it can be anything, let it be made known to them. As soon as you have done that, you have delivered your soul. God does not require anything from us more than us speaking. He didn't say “if they don't change, don't go.” Never give yourself rest until they change. God didn't tell you that. God is looking for people to witness. The Bible said that God never leaves any generation without a witness. No matter how rebellious or obedient a people are, there is always a witness from the Lord to anybody. Whether people are politicians, or they something else, whoever the group of people are or people belong, there is always a witness from the Lord to them. Somebody, somewhere, at some times, must speak to them what the Lord wants them to hear.
So, that is our responsibility. We do have the responsibility of wrestling. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. You speak the word of God, speak the word of God and go and sleep. Verse 20 says: “Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die; because you did not give him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand.”
Somebody could say, what is my part or fault in all of this? God is saying, somebody is righteous, but he stopped being righteous; he becomes unrighteous. God says, “I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die.” Why would the person die? Because you never gave him warning. So, whether we are speaking to rebellious people or to a righteous people, we have to keep speaking what the Lord has put in our mouth. The Bible says every word that we say, we're going to account for it, right? I believe the words we don't even say, we will still account for the lack of it. We have to keep speaking. So, if you're going to be caught doing something, you must be caught speaking.
You know, when you see a righteous man, that is perhaps backsliding, you could have this fear, who even told me he has backslidden? What do I want to tell him that he didn’t know? Jesus is Lord, repent, he knows those things. He knows. He knows, there is no need talking to him. God is saying, “You did not give him warning.” Friend, we have responsibility. Anyone among us who is going back, we have responsibility to draw the people back to God with the word. Don't assume people are perfect. Just pick the Word of God. God has put a word in your heart as a witness, as a watchman, you call the person and you share the Word of God to the person. By all means, whether somebody is forming spirituality, or the person is completely a sinner, speak the word of God.
Why are you doing that? You want to deliver your soul. You don't want their blood to be on your neck. It says, “Nevertheless, if you warn a righteous man, that the righteous should not sin, and He does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning from you. Also, you will have delivered your soul.” So, our warnings, our witnessing to the people has a role to play in making people to either live or die. God says, “Where such a person takes the warning, he will surely live and you too would have delivered your soul.” So, friend, we have responsibility to witness. The Lord is speaking to us; we have responsibility to echo the same to people. The Lord is directing us; we have the responsibility to direct other people. If you must be a talkative; be a talkative of the Word of God. If you must gossip, gossip God among the people. I am sure you know it is not good to gossip. Let me tell you something about God. There is a God, God is good, if you must be a gossip, gossip God.
23 So I arose and went out into the plain, and behold, the glory of the Lord stood there, like the glory which I saw by the River Chebar; and I fell on my face. 24 Then the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet, and spoke with me and said to me: “Go, shut yourself inside your house. 25 And you, O son of man, surely they will put ropes on you and bind you with them, so that you cannot go out among them. 26 I will make your tongue cling to the roof of your mouth, so that you shall be mute and not be one to rebuke them, for they are a rebellious house. 27 But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house.
I don't know if you're feeling what God was feeling? By all means, by the Spirit of God, by the leading of the Spirit, by the enablement of the Spirit of God, speak. He says, “But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them.” So, when God has not spoken, you may be quiet. But when God speaks to you don't keep quiet. Don't hold it back, don't hold it for your honour, for your dignity, or your prestige; because you don't want to be seen by them to be fanatic, or fanatical. You don't want to be seen by them to be too Jesus; why are you to godly? Why are you carrying God on your head? Don't keep it; whether you're in the office or anywhere you are, every time God speaks to you about somebody or a group of people, and He asks you to speak to them, say what God has spoken to you. Have a clear conscience before God so that you can win your soul. So that not after you have preached to other people; so-to-say, you still become a castaway, because you have rebelled against God just like the people.
Imagine God putting a word in your mouth for somebody beside you, and you think, you'd be overreaching for you to talk to somebody like that; let me just maintain my calmness and my firmness. Let me not cross my boundary, what have you done? You have rebelled, or you have disobeyed God. How are you different from the same generation that you have been sent to? So, when God speaks to you, let God be true but every man, every generation, a liar, God would rather be true — God would rather be true. So, once God has spoken to you, Sir/Ma, speak it. Jesus said, “As I hear my father speaks, I speak. And my judgment is true.” Except God has not spoken to you; that's the only reason you should not speak.
Amen!
